Can social media be used to encourage more people to get vaccinated?
Many of us have done it - gone onto social media to search for groups and forums that can provide us with information on various topics we care about. A quick search on Facebook for the word "vaccine" brings up several different groups of people discussing different vaccines.
We often turn to like-minded people when we want answers to things we wonder about, including health-related questions. Vaccination is a constantly emerging debate, and many people have an opinion on the subject. But what happens if healthcare professionals contribute their professional expertise to these groups? Can social media help to increase vaccination status among the population?
Senior researcher Elia Gabarron at the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research has looked into this. In a systematic review, she has studied the use of social media as a source of information about vaccines.
- We examined data from countries such as the USA, Australia, China and Jordan, says Elia. This is because there is no high-quality research on this topic in Europe, at least not yet.
How we say things
The findings of the studies show that the strategic use of social media to communicate reliable information can counteract vaccine scepticism and promote a more vaccine-friendly public attitude.
- The way vaccines are presented is important. If you tell a mother that she needs to vaccinate her child, without telling her the consequences - it won't necessarily be successful, Gabarron explains. If you tell her about the possible diseases her child could get without the vaccine, you will meet with a greater reception.
She emphasises that framing the content will be crucial when designing social media interventions. However, it is not only how the information is presented that is important, it is just as important that the information comes from a reliable public source. They also emphasise that it is important that healthcare professionals must be present to moderate the discussions that take place on social media in order to be able to dismiss misinformation.
In the studies examined, women were predominantly represented. In cultures where gender roles greatly influence knowledge and acceptance of vaccination, it is important to take this dynamic into account when planning how to effectively reach participants in a vaccination programme.
Can help increase efficiency
Our health service is under constant pressure, and new ways are constantly being sought to relieve the burden on healthcare professionals. Gabarron believes that social media can contribute to this in the long term.
- We need to have the knowledge in place first, and we need to do more research on how social media is used for vaccine information here in Norway, she explains.
With a strategic understanding of how these channels can be utilised effectively, social media has the potential to reach a wide audience quickly and cost-effectively. Social media, when used as a complementary campaign channel, can act as a tool to transmit information that helps to increase immunisation rates in a population.
- The effects of these tools depend on authorised personnel closely monitoring and moderating the discussions, says co-researcher Rita-Kristin Hansen, a master's degree student at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
They also highlight the need to combat disinformation. In collaboration with health authorities, social media platforms and public health organisations, targeted campaigns can be developed that can reach different parts of the population. By utilising the reach and influence of social media, this can help to raise awareness and knowledge of the importance of vaccines and ultimately lead to higher vaccination rates.
Their findings highlight an important step forward in understanding and utilising the potential of social media in public health work.